Beginning of Catholicism in East Asia

When the Catholic Church entered Korea from China in the 18th century, the 'Lord of Heaven Church' used in China was translated into 'Cheonjugyo', now used in present-day Korea. A name for God that was easily deduced from the teaching of Confucius, but now, with contact with the larger Catholic world, the word Catholic or Catholicism is popular to describe the 'Lord of Heaven Church'.

From a survey of Chinese Christianity, the first known presence was Nestorianism, which emphasized the two personhoods of Christ, the human and divine.  

Nestorianism entered China in 635 AD, coming from  Persia. The Tang dynasty tolerated the Nestorians for over 200 years, but they were banned in 845 and disappeared in the 10th century.

The first missionary to China from the West was John Montecorvino (1271-1368) Italian Franciscan missionary and first bishop of what is now Beijing. He arrived a little after Marco Polo. With the fall of the Mongol Empire during the 14th  century, the mission ceased. Another attempt was made by the Jesuits in the 16th century, which continued and was the reason for Catholicism's entrance to Korea in the 18th century.

The word Catholic was first used in the first century of Christianity by the  Christians in Antioch around 110 AD. It was in a letter by St. Ignatius of Antioch to the Smyrnaeans, in chapter 8, where he wrote: "Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is [administered] either by the bishop or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church."

The word Catholic comes from the Greek word katholikos, which means "universal".  It combines the Greek words kata- meaning "according to" and "whole". The synonyms for the small letter word catholic are universal, magnanimous, broad-minded, and whole.  

Christians have not been kind to those who are separated brothers and sisters, joined together in the beginning to the community that Jesus formed, and for various reasons, have separated from the initial community. True also within Catholicism in its relations with those who have left the community; it is an easily understood result of unwanted separation. 

The word Catholic was given the qualifier Roman by those who didn't care to have the beautiful word catholic monopolized by only one community of Christians.

Attempts have been made to improve the situation with movements like the Unity Octave and similar efforts which continue. Gaudium et Spes Document from the Second Vatican Council are indications of this hope:  

"Pressing upon the Christian to be sure is the need and the duty to battle against evil through manifold tribulations and even to suffer death. But, linked with the paschal mystery and patterned on the dying Christ, he will hasten forward to resurrection in the strength that comes from hope.

All this holds true not only for Christians but for all men of goodwill whose hearts' grace works in an unseen way. For, since Christ died for all men, and since the ultimate vocation of man is, in fact, one and divine, we ought to believe that the Holy Spirit, in a manner known only to God, offers to every man the possibility of being associated with this paschal mystery.

Such is the mystery of man, and it is a great one, as seen by believers in the light of Christian revelation. Through Christ and in Christ, the riddles of sorrow and death grow meaningful. Apart from His Gospel, they overwhelm us. Christ has risen, destroying death by His death; He has lavished life upon us(33) so that, as sons in the Son, we can cry out in the Spirit; Abba, Father."